title: Reproduction, infant survival and productivity of a colony of common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus jacchus).
abstract: Starting with 4 pairs of marmosets, 204 young were successfully reared during 6 years. They were kept in family groups of 2- 10. Litter size varied from 1-4; singletons (2%), twins (35%), triplets (55%), and quadruplets (8%). The mean annual increase of weaned young was 3.24 per pair. The median interbirth interval was 154 days. Of 46 pairs of marmosets, 8 failed to produce young. Approximately 11% of young born were stillborn and a further 32% of all young born died within 3 weeks; perinatal mortality is largely a result of the failure of parents to rear more than 2 young. In only 2 of 68 triplet births did the parents rear the young unaided. 53% of young born were males but differential mortality reduced the final sex ratio for live young to 50-5% males. Females did not accept and rear the young after caesarian section. The linear regression of the growth curve for 5-17 months (where y = weight in grams and x = months) could be expressed as y = 16.6x + 163.6. The data form 4 marmoset colonies are compared and the relative efficiency of breeding methods discussed.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D002144:Callithrix / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D002143:Callitrichinae / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000662:veterinary; D008098:Litter Size; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000662:veterinary; D012098:Reproduction; D012744:Sex Ratio